R.G. Alexander has stopped by Coffee Time Romance to give us a glimpse of the author behind some of yummiest characters in Erotic Romance today.  We thank you from the bottoms of our hearts!  I am Lori (Lototy at CTR), and I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing your book Possess Me, which we will focus on in a little bit.  But first I would like to start with you.

Your website contains some interesting tidbits of your childhood travels, do you still roam far and wide?  And where have been some of the most interesting stops along your journey?

I’ve been stationary for the last several years, and after a lifetime of moving around, my feet are getting a little twitchy. Planning some traveling for the end of this year and 2011, and thank heaven for conferences. 🙂 The most interesting…well, England of course, and Sedona, Arizona, I lived there for a few years. The red rocks are stunning and the people are fascinating. My next Berkley Heat Book, THREE SINFUL WISHES, is a menáge anthology set in Sedona. It made me want to go back. 

Have you perhaps lived or vacationed in New Orleans?  It seems like such an amazing collage of people, cultures, and beliefs, and you capture it so well in Possess Me.

Thank you. Well, I have family who live in Louisiana, so I’ve been down that way a lot. Not as much as I’d like. It’s like another world, the architecture, the history, the music and culture. It’s so alive that it was like another character in the story for me.  

Using an area and people with such a rich history, is it hard to stay focused while building a background for your characters and their world?  And what types of research do you prefer, libraries, locals, etc.?

New Orleans was a part of the characters. I don’t think I could have created these people, this story, in any other setting. Books, internet, family, phone calls-and a lot of imagination. I like to seek out pictures of places and buildings to inspire me. I’m actually planning a research visit down there soon for TEMPT ME, which is the sequel to POSSESS ME (hoping it will be out end of next year) 

How much of a role does your husband play in your writing?  Is he good fodder for your character’s personalities and habits (good or bad), a critique partner, or a sympathetic ear when things are not going quite as planned?

Yes to all of the above. He’s also a fantastic “research assistant” 😉 I couldn’t do it without him.

You write Erotic Romance under several different types, paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary.  Who are your favorite characters in all the books you have written, and do they mainly fall into one type of category?

I’m a paranormal girl all the way. I’ve only written 2 contemporaries to date, and they were…unusual premises *wink*.  I do dabble though; the story is the thing; if it wants to be written I have to give it a shot, right? I’ve contracted a Steampunk, which also, of course, has paranormal touches, and I did a post apocalyptic anthology with my friends and fellow authors The Smutketeers, called WASTELAND. It’s really hard to choose favorite characters…but I think Bone Daddy from POSSESS ME is up in the top five.  

Possess Me is a deliciously decadent blend of paranormal and contemporary erotic romance, and I love how the three different stories interconnect and build on each other.  When you began the layout for this story was this how you planned to write it, or did the characters make that decision for you?

I had no idea. In fact, until the last story, I had no clue there were quite so many connections. Luckily Bone Daddy knew exactly where he wanted to go.  

Your male characters are stunning, both in looks and attitude.  They have just the right amount of heat, strength, and vulnerability to make the reader fall for each and every one, including and most especially Bone Daddy.  Where did the inspiration for such a unique character, as well as his name come from? 

His name came from a funny conversation I was having with a friend about her strange night out. As soon as I said it, I saw him, just a flash of golden eyes and a truly wicked smile. Then he wouldn’t leave me alone. This was one of my favorite books to write because it took me into unfamiliar territory on so many levels, and I loved exploring. 

Each of the leading ladies in this anthology is battling some type of personal pain, either physical and/or emotional, yet they never come off as needy or pitying.  You really have such great empathy in your writing.  Do you attribute that to your varied life experiences, such as nursing, mythology, etc., and which lends itself most to developing your characters and their history?

Absolutely. It’s my new excuse as to why I could never settle down on one path, one thing. I was doing research for a few decades 🙂 I think writers are all big people watchers and empaths, which is why a lot of us (particularly in the romance genre), have also had professions related to healthcare, counseling etc. …Being nosy is also a common trait.  

There are three couples in Possess Me, each with their own blend of problems, and of course screaming hot passion.  If you had to pick a favorite, and write a story only about them, which couple would you choose, and why?

Unfair. I love them all.  Bethany and Bone Daddy’s story was very near and dear to my heart. It was so emotional. But I love Ben too, the way he loves Michelle. Don’t make me choose. 

Developing characters with paranormal abilities must be so much fun, but how do you feel about the “Fourth Dimension”?  Do you feel that your feet are firmly planted in the here and now, or is something out there or inside of us that remains inexplicable to modern science?

That is a deep question. I believe that there are so many things that exist that we can’t perceive, things we knew as children that we’ve forgotten, and things we will hopefully discover in the future. My mind is sometimes too open. I think anything is possible. 

Every one of your books has some very serious eye-candy on the cover, and I cannot wait to read more, because they sound just as great as they look!  Can you give all of us fans a hint as to what we can look forward to next? 

I have some books coming out with Samhain Publishing in the next few months, both continuations of series, WICKED BAD and MY DEMON SAINT. I just turned in my next Berkley Heat book, THREE SINFUL WISHES, and will be working on the POSSESS ME sequel, TEMPT ME, next. After that, the first book in my four book Steampunk series with Berkley Heat-(YAY, dirty steampunk) and more coming up through online publishers Samhain and Ellora’s Cave.

…I’m a little busy, but I love it.

After reading one of Ms. Alexander’s books you may want to forgo the hot coffee in favor of an iced one, because this lady will definitely heat you up!  Thank you for sharing a bit of your time with us today, but most especially for giving us such scintillating and sexy reads.  Have an awesome day, and get back to work!  We will all be waiting.  

Thank you so much! I had a wonderful time.